Today we’d like to introduce you to Kasra Esteghamat.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kasra. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Our company began very organically around 2008. We were in the home and landscape design business for about 12 years prior to that, and during that time traveled frequently for our personal pleasure and to scout for ideas and items for clients. Well, upon our return from local and exotic destinations around the globe those clients, and some friends, began asking us for more than just our tips on traveling. We began getting requests from people to help them design their experiences. Fortunately, during this time we were introduced to a well established and respected travel agency in Santa Barbara that was willing to host us as independent affiliates of theirs for a probationary period, or until we could prove that we could learn the trade and create a book of business. We did!
Eden For Your World became official in 2009 and has had the honor of being part of the Virtuoso travel network since the beginning.
Our business grew solely on word of mouth and referrals. Once clients got a taste of the added value and the benefits we provided them they were happy to return for more expert trip planning and to spread the word for us. Slowly we began to add advisors to our agency and we are proud to say our boutique agency is five strong today. Nearly a decade later, we are also proud to say that our advisor John Oberacker has been nominated for several important industry accolades, as well as having been among the top producers in many areas.
Not to mention, Eden For Your World advisors have been and currently are on advisory boards in several areas of interest in the travel industry.
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth?! For us, the bumps in the road have been part of the journey. And, it’s always about the journey, not the destination, right? The struggles were not unexpected though, they’ve usually been created by ourselves. We always want to achieve more… whether it’s to be a THE specialist in a destination, to sell more of something, to get recognized by peers for what you’ve done, or to simply to be proud of the work you do and to know that you make a difference in people’s live. So struggle is a bit strong. We’d say we were thrown a huge learning curve starting a whole new business, and we’ve managed not only to learn about it, but to keep on learning, to strive to be better every day and to enjoy it whilst doing it so that our clients feel our passion and are rewarded with the benefits. The only thing that’s a bit tough is getting noticed as a small fish, in a big pond. There are definitely players who are bigger or have more capital who promote themselves through advertising, PR and marketing. We didn’t have the resources to do that, which was a blessing, because it’s all grown organically. We may not be as flashy, but we’re just as good!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Eden For Your World story. Tell us more about the business.
Eden For Your World is a travel agency, with specialized connections worldwide. We are a group of travel advisors whose goal is to reveal that ‘eden’ exists everywhere… if you have the right expert to help you discover it.
We are affiliated with the best of the best. We have partnerships with the all the major players in the hotel industry, and are constantly educating ourselves and connecting ourselves with what’s new, what’s hot, what true, and what’s tried (personally). We know the little boutique hotel you should stay in and we know the amazing chef that you should take a cooking class with. We know the best route to fly, and we know the guy who’ll get you access to that private club you’ve been dying to get into. Above all that, we add value to adventures small and large. From an overnight getaway, to a honeymoon, or even a multi-generational trip to Africa we personalize the experience and add lots of perks you’d be missing on otherwise, if you were booking on your own. Not to mention we take the hard work out of it, and make the entire travel planning experience fun as well.
A couple of areas we’re personally experts in are Tahiti and Hawaii. However, we’re pretty well versed in Mexico, S America, SE Asia and Western Europe as well. And, still learning! We’re most proud of John’s three nods from Virtuoso. He was nominated twice as Rising Star in the luxury consortium. And, just last year he was nominated again by Virtuoso as Most Innovative Travel Advisor. John has been on the Bonnier advisory board as and Islands Specialist, he’s also involved in a few industry councils.
What we’re most proud of as a company are our personal relationships with our clients and our industry suppliers. We do believe the world is and ‘eden’ and we do believe that everyone should have the privilege to enjoy it. So we make sure to make the planning experience as good as the travel experience. We’re proud to say that our clients like to dream with us, to plan, to book and to prepare for their trips with our guidance and expertise. Then they go and enjoy and come back and reflect with us. So we’re part of their life journey, and it’s one of the best parts of life! So, we are proud to make a difference in our client’s lives. We’re also proud to share that same enthusiasm and care when it comes to the industry side. It’s those relationships that we build and nurture that make working with people from around the globe fun and successful.
What sets us apart is that we provide a large range of services for a wide range of budgets. But, we treat everyone the same. Travel is a luxury for everyone, at any price. So we are happy to say that we are great at what we do, we’ve traveled much of the world and know someone in every part of it, so we can offer first hand knowledge and make any level of traveler feel comfortable and secure in making the best decisions. Finally, we work as a team, so there is always someone available to help you.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We see the industry growing in the next 5-10 years. People understand the true value of travel and experiences in their lives.
One of our favorite quotes: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
This couldn’t be more true. Life is going to be less about the house, the car, the handbag… and more about what you’ve seen, done and learned. What better way to get all of those than to travel?
We see trends developing more in experiential travel. People will want to do more than just the basic touristy things and delve into deeper connections within destinations. We also think that there will be more and more travel groups put together, focusing on health, wellness and conservation of the planet.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 562-856-8603
- Website: www.edenfyw.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Twitter: Eden4YourWorld – https://twitter.com/
Eden4yourworld/ - Instagram: EdenForYourWorld – https://www.instagram.com/
edenforyourworld/ - Facebook: Eden For Your World – https://www.facebook.com/
edentravel/
Image Credit:
John Oberacker
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